Chamonix Pinot Noir Reserve 2011

Does local Pinot Noir benefit from a sympathy vote? Make a halfway decent wine from this perennially difficult grape and your ratings get bumped up disproportionately it very often seems to me. Last night the Pinot Noir Reserve 2011 from Chamonix, which rated 5 Stars in the 2011 edition of Platter’s.

It showed red cherry, pepper, a musky top note but also some earthy/oaky character. Quite rich and smooth textured but there’s nice lemon-like acidity. Not unpleasant but something vaguely ponderous about it. It left me bemused and a 5-Star wine shouldn’t leave you bemused even if it is from Pinot…